Assessment of HEC-18 scour equations for bottomless culverts based on Kansas field data

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Abstract

One of the main causes of bridge failure is scour at the abutments or piers. Scour is
caused by increased velocities of water through bridge openings. Sediment is carried away
from the foundations by high flows causing the bridge to become unstable and possibly
collapse. Bottomless culverts have become an attractive bridge option and until recently
studies to determine scour at their abutments are scarce. New studies have been conducted
and need field review. The purpose of this report is to verify the validity of bottomless
culvert equations derived from laboratory studies. Given the likely increase in interest in
bottomless culverts, finding the right equations to use for the design of foundations becomes
crucial. The advantage of this study is the abundant field data available for a comparison
through the Kansas Department of Transportation project headed by TranSystems. A subset
of bridges is tested with the equations and comparisons are made.